Improvement in horse hay-forks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. & A. BUCKMAN.

Horse Hay Fork.

No, 52,134. Patented Jany 23, 1866.

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,E. & A. .BUCKMAN. 2 -Sheet 2.

Horse Hay Fork.

Patented Jany 23, 1866.

N. PETERS Plmln Lnhnpmphur. Wnshmghw. n cy ATENT rates.

E. BUOKMAN AND A. BUCKMAN, OF EAST GREENBUSH, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,R3Q, dated January23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, E. BUGKMAN and A. BUCKMAN, of East Grecnbush, inthe county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Horse Hay-Fork; and we do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a side view of our invention in a closed or workingposition; Fig. 2, a side view of the sa-mein an open or distended state;Fig. 3, a bottom or end view of the device; Fig. 4, a vertical sectionof the upper part of one of the arms or levers of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved horse hay-fork of thatclass in which two arms or levers are crossed, connected by a pivot, andarranged so as to grasp and retain the load.

The invention consists in a novel and improved application of the forksto the arms or levers, whereby the forks are made to adjust themselvesautomatically, either in a working or dumping position, by the openingand closing of the arms or levers.

The invention also consists in a novel means for opening or distendingthe arms or levers, so that the fork may discharge its load at the willof the operator.

A A represent two arms or levers, which may beconstructed of wood ormetal. The former material will probably be used. These arms or leverscross each other, and are connected by a pivot-bolt, a, so that they maywork freely thereon, and be opened or closed when desired.

The lower end of each arm or lever A A is slotted longitudinally toreceive the shank or tan g b of afork, B. These forks are constructedwith tines c, (three, more or less,) and the shanks or tangs are securedin the arms or levers by pivot-bolts d. The outer ends of the shanks ortangs b are connected by rods 6 to the arms or levers, the fork of onearm or lever being connected to the arm or lever of the other fork, andvice versa. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) By this arrangement it will be seenthat when the arms or levers are opened and closed the forks B B will beoperated or moved, assuming a horizontal position, or a position atright angles with the arms or levers when thelatter are closed, (seeFig. 1,) and assuming a nearly vertical position when the arms or leversare distended. (See Fig. 2.)

O 0 represent two metal bars, the lower ends of which are fitted on thepivot-bolt a, one at each end, so that a bar, 0, will be at each side ofthefork. Each bar 0 has a bar, D, connected to it by a pivot, f, andthese bars have each a longitudinal slot, g, made in them, through whichscrews h pass into the arms or levers above the fulcrum-bolt to. Theseslotted bars D serve as guides for the bars 0.

The upper ends of the bars G O are provided with wings E, to which therope F is attached, the hoisting-rope F being attached to F, and to theouter side of each arm or lever A A there is secured a metal plate, H,the upper ends of which extend a trifle above the upper ends of the armsor levers, to form stops 2' for the bars 0, and in the upper part ofeach arm or lever there is inserted a rod, 1, underneath which there arespiral springs j, which have a tendency to keep the upper ends of therods 1 above the upper ends of the arms or levers, the upper ends of Ibeing beveled to form catches and secure the upper ends ofthe barsG 0against the stops i, said bars being bent at their upper ends so as toextend over the upper ends of the arms or levers, and admit of the upperends of the rods I passing up at the inner sides of O O at the bottomsof the rings E. The rods I I have staples or eyes 70 attached to them,which project through slots 1 in the arms or levers and plates H, and arope, J, is attached to these eyes.

The operation is as follows: When the implement is loaded the forks B Bare in a horizontal position and the arms or levers A A in a closedstate, and the pull of the hoistingrope F has a tendency to keep thearms or levers in a closed state and the forks B in a working positionso that they may retain their load. hen the fork has been elevated tothe proper place over the spot where the load is to be discharged theoperator pulls the rope J, and the rods 1 I are drawn down, so as torelease the bars 0 G, and the upper ends of the latter, under the pullof rope F, will be drawn toward each other, while the upper and lowerends of the arms or levers A A will be drawn apart under the pull ofrope J, and the forks B turned or adjusted to nearly a verticalposition, so that the load will be discharged. The fork is lowered in anopen state, and when lowered the forks B B are thrust into the hay, thebars C U adjusted in contact with the stops '5 and secured by the rodsI, and thefork being again hoisted, the arms or levers, under claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The pivoted forks B B atthe lower ends of the arms or levers A A, connected to said arms orlevers by rods 0, to cause the forks to move automatically by themovement of the arms or levers, substantially as described.

2. The bars 0 0, connected to the pivot-bolt a of the arms or levers AA, in combination with the rods I I, fitted in the upper parts of thearms or levers, and having the hoistingrope and discharging-ropes G Jattached, respectively, to them, and all arranged to operatesubstantially as and for the purpose specitied.

EDWVARD BUGKMAN. WVitnesses: ALEX. BUOKMAN.

HENRY GOODRIGH, -JOI-IN H. VANDENBURGH.

